I mean Hozier, sexy, fun, Irish... Hozier! This was Kate Golden's contemporary debut and she nailed it!

I wanted to dislike this but alas I had a fun time with this Hozier fanfi– I mean, Hozier ‘inspired’ romance.

What I enjoyed:
The fanfic of it all - giggling and kicking my feet
Pretty sexy
Fun cast of characters
I was pleasantly surprised by Golden’s use of made-up lyrics. In other stories I’ve read it gets cringe really quickly but I imagine her experience writing fantasy helped things feel more lyrical and genuine

What I disliked:
The written dialect of Halloran’s Irish accent was distracting
I wanted a little more depth from the story. Because it’s based on a real person, I hoped there would be elements from all of the characters that screamed ‘these characters are my own’ but I just never truly got that feeling. They were all pretty one-noted. (Pun intended)
The lack of depth paired with the basis of the relationship being a fling on tour made me question whether the main characters really needed to end up together. Don’t get me wrong, I was rooting for them, but I’m not sure I was actually convinced that they were the perfect match.

Thank you Berkley, Kate Golden, and Netgalley for a digital copy of If Not for My Baby in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for Hozier, so I knew I needed this book immediately. It was such a beautiful romance. Clem was genuinely so relatable, and I understand too well pushing down your dreams because they seem so unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Her life changes drastically over the 2 months she spends with her hot musician, Halloran. The prose throughout this book was beautiful, lyrical, and really deepened the emotions you feel for them. I am not typically a fan of rockstar romance at all, but I LOVED this, truly. The found family was a beautiful part of this story, and the tour bus scenes were some of my favorites. The music is truly the backbone of this story, and the way it is interwoven throughout is magical.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first book by Kate Golden, and I am now hungry for more. I am a casual Hozier listener, only vaguely familiar with some of his mainstream hits, but Golden’s writing left me feeling like I’m now a super fan. And I know that Halloran is only inspired by Hozier, but still!

I loved Clem’s journey. Her entire world changed over the course of 8 weeks - literally and figuratively. Falling in love for the first time, traveling outside of her small town in Texas for the first time. She truly was a different person at the end of the tour. Seeing her reconcile who she became with her past demons felt honest and relatable. I loved that Tom didn’t force her into anything, even when he so easily saw straight to the heart of her fears. Their ending felt so right.

I really appreciated the exploration of Clem’s feelings after her mom finally shares her heart at the end of the book. I was afraid that honest feelings, like anger, would be glossed over. But she acknowledged how she felt and owned it. It was such a beautiful example of how parent and child relationships are, both when the child is an adolescent and when both parent and child are adults. It was healing for me on a personal level.

I am excited to have this be a go-to reread in the future when I need something that brings all the feelings, but is still comforting like a warm blanket.

My rating; 4.5 stars

I loved this book. It was a little weird in the beginning after realizing that Tom was basically just Hozier, but I still enjoyed it. I thought that the writing was so lyrical and whenever Kate Golden was writing words that Tom was using to describe things, they were so unreal. Just so lyrical and moving. You can tell that the author really loves songs lyrics in this book because there were passages that just felt like a song. The relationship between Clementine and Tom was really sweet too. I really enjoyed this!

Never knew how much I needed some Hozier inspired romance but there ya go. Thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Nothing could've prepared me for how HARD I fell for Halloran and Clementine. This rockstar romance captured my heart and soul. I was entranced by the songs, the found family on the tour bus, and that sweet slow burn between Tom and Clem. I am begging someone out there with more musical ability than I to create these songs: "I want to be lost, not found in my aching, I'd be hawthorn frost, if not for my baby." PURE GENIUS 😭😭😭😭 And he took her to a BROADWAY SHOW, not any Broadway show, but MY FAVORITE HADESTOWN!
If you love STUNNING poetry, spicy romance, and He-falls-first, I highly encourage you to pick this one up when it releases in August!

Fans of particular Irish singers will absolutely eat this up! Like a dream fanfiction that's been traditionally published, and I mean that as a compliment!

If Not for My Baby 🎸🎤🎫
5 🌟
3 🌶️

Thank you so so much to my Berkley besties for the chance to read and enjoy this free book! #berkley #berkleypartner

I absolutely DEVOURED this book like it was my first meal in days. I read it in under 48 hours and was so caught up within this story that I couldn’t put it down.

I’ve been in the mood for a rockstar romance lately, and while Halloran isn’t a stereotypical rockstar, he HIT THE DAMN SPOT! Readers can infer which folksy musician he is based on, but I really didn’t dwell on that aspect at all- he really felt like his own individual character.

I really liked how real Clementine was. Her character displayed a lot of growth and development, and I liked how you could really see how her character shifted from the start to the end of the book. She had real struggles that a lot of real people have to withstand, and I think that they were handled with a lot of grace.

My favorite parts of this book were on the tour bus- I LOVED every scene where the cast really felt like a found family and you could feel their relationships with each other. (I also really liked the parts where Halloran was being TOM and not Halloran, but that’s a song for another day.)

There really wasn’t a single word in this book that I didn’t like and enjoy. It will definitely go down in history as one of the best books I’ll read in 2025, but I also think that it’s going to be an incredibly successful release!

Kate Golden’s If Not for My Baby is a heartfelt, emotionally rich story that beautifully explores love, healing, and the power of music to bring people together. I was deeply moved by how well Golden captured the emotional resonance of music—not just as a background element, but as a vital thread that ties the characters, their pasts, and their hopes for the future.

The way music is written into the fabric of the story is genuinely powerful. Golden doesn’t just tell you that music matters—she shows it through lyrical prose, poignant scenes, and characters who live and breathe through their connection to sound, lyrics, and rhythm. It's not just a romance; it’s a love letter to the healing, transformative magic of music.

If you’re looking for a story with heart, depth, and a soundtrack that lingers in your soul, this one’s for you.

This was my first read on my new Kindle and let me tell you, I binged it in one day!

Read if you like:
- Rockstar romance (Hozier inspired)
- Forced proximity
- He falls first
- Hopeless romantic x romance cynic
- Age gap (24f x 32m)

I remember so clearly when Kate Golden made an IG story about writing a Hozier inspired romance story, and I replied saying that it was a need. A broadcast channel later and here we are! Suffice to say, I have been so excited to read this.

I have never read much rockstar romance, and I really enjoyed how this was done. I was initially worried it’d feel overly dramatic which it didn’t. I love the premise of our fmc Clem working as a background singer. The tension and yearning was good, though I would’ve also loved more. I feel like they got together pretty early? And while I didn’t find the story to drag, I still would’ve loved a longer yearning stage.

The characters and their chemistry together were so good! I love how they connected over their love for music. While it played into some stereotypes, I was honestly still so entertained and didn't mind.

Now, I will say that I was surprised by just how deeply inspired this was by Hozier. I know this was the point, but it felt slightly like a caricature at times which I’m unsure how I feel about. I don’t know much of anything about Hozier IRL aside from really enjoying his music, so I can’t fully speak on how deep the inspiration goes. However, I think it works great as its own isolated story which I think is the most important thing, as this is a work of fiction.

On the whole, I had a great time reading this one and will definitely have to give rockstar romances more of a try!

Thank you so much to Kate and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved every single moment. I mean, I was sold the moment I saw this gorgeous cover and read that it's Hozier fanfic. It is one of the sweetest and sexiest rock star romances I've read (and there's been quite a few!). If Not For My Baby will live in my head (and heart) for a long, long time and will get prime real estate on my bookshelf. Thank you #Netgalley for the arc.

Swoony Hozier-inspired romance! It reminded me a bit of Daisy Jones, and I think if you like that style, along with the music and band allusions, you will love this book. But you don't have to be a music aficionado to appreciate the romance! Thanks so much to the publisher for granting me this e-arc.

I am not a typical reader of contemporary romance, but I adored Kate Golden's fantasy trilogy so much that I immediately wanted to read this just because she wrote it. I really enjoyed the story overall, though I found the FMC a bit frustrating at points. The relationship between the main characters felt organic and I found myself giggling along and struggled to put this one down.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

ARC Review
♾️/⭐️
I ate this UPPPP
in love with everything about this! From the very first introduction between Tom and Clementine I was downright obsessed. So so so moving and the lyrics?? The songs?? I need an audiobook immediatelyyyy

A small town waitress who dreams of more gets the chance of a lifetime to join a rockstar's tour as a back-up singer. And then (as the cover would imply), a romance follows. This was a nice rock-star/regular gal romance. I also have to say I really, really liked that Clementine was a former/forever theatre kid, and the infusion of some musical theatre connections throughout were extra little treats as the love story evolved. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this August 2025 release.

This book was cute! I love books revolving around music so this one was perfect! Clementine was such a cool FMC that really grew with the story.
I loved the travel, the music, the flirting! It was such a cool contemporary story about finding yourself and the role love plays!

This book made me search for Hozier fan fics lol. (Which don’t really exist)
Honestly didn’t know I was missing a Romance book inspired by him till now.
That being said I wish this book gave me more. The relationship between the Two main characters felt dry. No chemistry.
Also Clem really bothered me. Like how old are you girl have a conversation and don’t run away all the time.
I’m not a fan of third act breakups so that will always knock a star down for my ratings. I’m a firm believer that if the characters are adults they should act like them and talk through the issues that usually cause the UNNECESSARY third act breakups.
I did however love the reunion that was cute. And then ruined by Clem acting like a child…
3 stars it wasn’t bad but I probably wouldn’t read it again.

While this was a sweet romance, it was very disconcerting that the MMC was very obviously based off the real life artist Andrew Hozier, and the story read as a modified or rewritten fanfiction. The main conflicts were all rooted in miscommunication, which then made the ending fall flat when they resolved it. Was really excited for this and kind of let down.

Clem has spent years caring for her sick mother, putting her own dreams aside. But when she’s offered a chance to tour as a vocalist for rising star Thomas Patrick Halloran, she’s forced to step out of her comfort zone. Tom is no typical rockstar—introverted, magnetic, and mysterious—and their connection is undeniable. As Clem struggles between love and her responsibilities, she must decide if she deserves a shot at her musical dreams.

A passionate, electrifying romance with an unforgettable connection. Highly recommend this one!